glossary of terms

Every attempt has been made to gloss all the terms in the testimonies, but finding the meaning for the complete list has not proved possible; some may have been misheard or mistranscribed. Some of the words below are Amharic; others are local to the Wollo area.

afersata

gathering of people to identify a thief

anqettqitt

livestock disease

aqmada

sheepskin or goatskin bag used for grain, or weight equivalent
of 50-60kg

Areffa

Eid el Fitr - breaking the main fast at the end of Ramadan

arekie

alcoholic spirit made from dates and sorghum

awraja

name for an area of land smaller than a province but bigger
than a district; used during the time of Haile Sellaise

azmaris

minstrels

banbulie

sexually transmitted disease

belg

short farming season, the little rains

birr

unit of currency

budas

evil-eyed

buhe

small wheat loves made for a children's holiday

chat

plant chewed as a stimulant

debteras

those who have attended traditional church schools

degeza

Wollo bush cricket

dejazmach

feudal nobleman

Derg

military regime 1974-89

diri/deyiri

army worm

EPRDF

Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front

fenttera/fenta

grasshopper

feqo

?

ferenjis

foreigners/white people

fesh

?

gabi

white cotton cloak

gedeb

(literally, limit) the age, usually 15, when a girl married
young leaves her family to join her husband

ghenna

Christmas game similar to hockey

gime

crop pest

gitchit

(literally, knocking against one another) animal disease

gitte

game farmers played in the old days

gott

small village

grazmach and qegnazmach

traditional military titles of respect; those who led armies

guftah

?

gushritt

like henna, used to decorate palms

Haj

Muslims' pilgrimage to the Holy Land (Mecca)

ibett

livestock disease

ijil

a disease

ilf

(literally, person passed around) an elderly or disabled
person who is taken care of in a local social support system
of shared responsibility

inderaise

administrator

injera

thin pancake of fermented teff

Iqub/Ikub

traditional rotating credit and savings association

jibo

pest which attacks chickpeas

Jimat

Friday

kebele

smallest unit of local administration

kerkir

sexually transmitted disease

Koran

Islamic sacred book

laden

sheepskin or goatskin bag, or weight equivalent of 30kg

Mahber

community association for those who share the same patron
saint

Mecca

holiest city of the Islamic religion

meher

main growing season (the rainy season)

melgom

?

memire

priest or teacher

Meske

feast of the finding of the Holy Cross celebrated on the
27th of September

mesob

large basket on a stand for serving injera

Mewlid

feast celebrating the birth of Mohammed

mich

livestock disease

midaquwa

?

musebaha

?

natcha

type of wild animal

Oromos

largest ethnic group in Ethiopia living largely in the south

PA

Peasant Association

Qadi

Muslim religious leader and judge

qinne

religious poetry

Qire/Idir

traditional funeral association that covers, through members'
contributions, funeral expenses and ensures food is provided
for the mourners

qole

guardian spirit

qollo

roasted cereals

qoratch

type of crop pest

qunna

large grass basket holding about 10kg

qurfa

a disease

Sasakawa-Global 2000

National farmer extension programme funded by Japan

Sebere Attimu

celebration in January

seffera

resettlement

semenya

marriage contract

semsem

maize flour

Senbetie

community association responsible for preparing church feasts

sess

?

shiro

roast and ground peas/chickpeas

tchiqa shums

local officials

tella

locally brewed beer

Tertim/Tertib

Muslim community activity where people come together for
daily worship in the mosque and a communal breakfast